Countless individuals all over the world seek to improve their physical appearance through the use of personal care products such as cosmetics and skin care treatments. As a result there is an extremely large choice of available products for consumers to choose from. Often, the individual consumer finds it difficult to determine what type of products to apply and what color(s) work best for them. This problem is compounded as the individual's skin condition changes over time and/or society's norms change over time.
Beauty counselors at retail cosmetics counters are charged with assisting customers in identifying personal care products aimed at improving the customer's appearance. However, such consultations are very subjective. Not all beauty counselors identify the same type or color of personal care products. Consultation results can vary from visit to visit, even with the same counselor and client. In addition, employment of beauty counselors increases the cost of the personal care products, and many customers do not want to be inconvenienced by approaching a beauty counselor.